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Nigeria, Others Must Embrace Clean Energy Transition—PwC

Published

1 year ago

20/11/2023

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria and other African countries have been tasked with embracing the clean energy transition to solve energy inequality by leveraging the African region’s enormous renewable energy potential.

This call was made by energy, utilities, and resources experts in one of the world’s top consultancy firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) at a media call to launch the Africa Energy Review 2023 Report on Monday.

According to Mr Andries Rossow, PwC’s Africa Energy, Utilities, and Resources Leader, Africa is a net exporter of energy with more potential due to the diversity of the continent’s energy portfolio but despite this, the continent suffers from chronic underinvestment.

“Africa received only a small fraction of global energy investment with about 0.5 per cent directed towards transmission and distribution to energy infrastructure networks,” he said.

He added that it was imperative that investment blockages are identified and addressed, with a proper public and private partnership paramount to help the continent tap into its under-prioritized energy structure.

He said that given the energy poverty levels on the continent, there is a crucial need to develop fossil fuel energy resources that are geared towards its economic development needs. This can be achieved by tapping the use of sustainable resources like lithium, copper, and cobalt among others.

“As a net exporter of energy, the continent is well-positioned to profit from development in clean energy.”

On his part, Mr Pedro Omontuemhen, PwC Africa Oil and Gas Lead, for West Africa, the chances to catch up with North Africa which has proximity to Europe’s energy needs, remains untapped.

He examined that the region, which includes Nigeria and other new players like Senegal and Mauritania, has huge potential for investment and growth, adding that it could enjoy the perks of being a net exporter of energy.

In Nigeria’s case, he said that there needs to be a crucial tackling to issues of oil theft, which according to him has become a profitable venture that is telling on the country.

For Central Africa, he said the region which is heavily impacted by Africa’s second-largest crude producer, Angola, faces losing impact as it lacks fresh finds among depleting resources while limiting Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export growth.

He tasked countries in the region which has faced coups in Gabon and political instability risk in Cameroon on the need for renewable investment with a particular focus on hydropotential.

For Mr Roelof van Huyssteen, Energy Regulation Expert, for East Africa, advancements in Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda are indicators to act quickly with opportunities for LNG, geothermal, and oil while for Southern Africa, it is a new frontier market that should address old infrastructure challenges and work on collaboration.

As African countries face the challenge of how to balance energy security, climate change, and sustainable development objectives, the investment into Africa’s renewables, oil and gas is pivotal to its growth as domestic and international energy market demands can be met through its resources.

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Adedapo Adesanya

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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The LOGIC Church Plans ‘Jesus + Nothing Worship’ for Good Friday

Published

51 minutes ago

13/04/2025

Dipo Olowookere

By Dipo Olowookere

On Friday, April 18, 2025, all roads will lead to the headquarters of the Love of God in Christ (LOGIC) Church in the Lekki area of Lagos State for an uplifting evening dedicated to expressing the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ in music.

The day, which is Good Friday, has been set aside to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the cornerstone of Christian faith.

Christian faithful from across the global will gather for the hybrid programme tagged Jesus + Nothing Worship, a platform that provides worshippers an opportunity to connect with the essence of the Gospel in worship.

Soul-lifting singers expected to minister on that day include Neon Adejo, Greatman Takit, Victor Thompson, Timi Dakolo, Samuel Giveson (SMJ), Noble G, Steve Hills, and Lily Perez.

Others are Joxie, Anderson Qozan, Pastor Victor Paul, EmekaSongz, Flo, Dorcas Moore, Magpsalms, Mera Owili, Gerald Bishung, Phebe Lion, and the vibrant Evolution Children’s Choir.

The Lead Pastor and Apostolic Head of the LOGIC Church, Apostle Flourish Peters, while commenting ahead of the event, said, “As a Christocentric faith community, this event is a great way to celebrate the gift of Christ, who laid down his life for our redemption. Good Friday is a great time to have a worship celebration like this.”

“Nothing speaks to the culture of a people like the music they listen to. Jesus + Nothing Worship will contribute to shaping and mainstreaming a culture of christocentric worship, where the Gospel of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is platformed through worship,” he added.

General

SERAP Calls for Withdrawal of Nigeria’s Data Act Amendment

Published

1 hour ago

13/04/2025

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called for the withdrawal of the amendment of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 because it seeks to regulate the activities of bloggers operating within the territorial boundaries of Nigeria.

The organisation in its letter urged the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, to “immediately withdraw the repressive bill.”

Business Post reports that the titled A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to Mandate the Establishment of Physical Offices within the Territorial Boundaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Social Media Platforms and for Related Matters among others intends to regulate bloggers, including by requiring all bloggers to register local offices and join recognised national association for bloggers.

Currently, the bill has passed its first and second reading in the Senate.

In the letter signed its deputy director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP asked Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas “to ensure that any amendment to the Nigeria Data Protection Act promotes and protects the rights of bloggers and other journalists and does not undermine the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.”

It demanded an end to “the imposition of unnecessary restrictions on the rights of Nigerians online and Internet-based content.”

In the letter dated April 12, 2025, the group said, “This bill is a blatant attempt to bring back and fast-track the obnoxious and widely rejected social media bill by the back-door.”

“If passed, the bill would also be used to ban major social media platforms—including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and independent bloggers if they ‘continuously fail to establish/register and maintain physical offices in Nigeria for a period of 30 days.

“Lawmakers should not become arbiters of truth in the public and political domain. Regulating the activities of bloggers and forcing them to associate would have a significant chilling effect on freedom of expression and lead to censorship or restraint.

“Should the National Assembly and its leadership fail to withdraw the bill to regulate the activities of bloggers, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure it is never implemented in the public interest,” the organisation warned.